Thanornn is a six-month-old baby boy from Cambodia. He is the only child in the family and lives in Kampong Cham Province with his parents. His father works as a construction worker, and his mother stays at home to care for him. He enjoys playing with toys and likes drinking milk. Thanornn was born with polydactyly of his right hand. This means that he has an extra thumb on his right hand. The extra thumb has movement and is attached alongside his normal thumb. The extra thumb does not currently cause pain or prevent him from eating, drinking, or using his hand. However, his parents are concerned that it may affect the normal development and function of his hand as he grows and may make him feel different from other children. Fortunately, on July 20th, surgeons will perform a polydactyly repair procedure to remove the extra thumb. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $379 to fund this procedure. After surgery, he will feel more comfortable with the appearance of his hand and will be able to use his right hand more naturally as he grows. The surgery will help him perform daily activities more easily and grow up with confidence. Thanornn's parents said, “We hope this surgery will help our son have a normal hand as he grows up. We want him to be confident, use his hand normally, and never feel different from other children.”

Hnin is a 65-year-old woman who lives with her two daughters and two granddaughters in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand. The family is originally from Bago Division in Burma. Hnin is retired, while one of her daughters works in a garment factory, and the other is a homemaker; her granddaughters are both students. The family income is not always enough to cover the cost of their daily expenses, so they sometimes need to borrow money from their neighbors, or the working daughter takes an advance on her paycheck from the factory where she works. The family lives with another couple that helps in paying rent, but they do not share any other resources. Due to Hnin’s health condition, they have had to borrow money for treatment and transportation costs. In 2010, Hnin was in a motorbike accident where she injured both knees. She went to a local clinic, but they did not perform an x-ray or examination, they only gave her medication for the pain. After the accident, Hnin’s knees would occasionally cause her pain, which she would treat with pain medication and traditional Burmese medicine. In January 2023, Hnin’s knee pain became worse, and her knees swelled, so she went to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) in Mae Sot where she was given pain medication, and referred to physiotherapy. However, the physiotherapy and follow-up appointments at MTC did not help much. The pain in her knees was worsening, so she stopped going but continued treating the pain with medication and traditional medicine. In January 2026, Hnin began having shaky legs when standing, and her knees were increasingly stiff, so she went to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) in Mae Sot on 2nd February 2026. There she underwent an x-ray and was told that she had osteoarthritis in her knees which has progressed to last stage, and only surgery would help. She was given medication, a cane, and a follow-up appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon. When she attended her appointment, she underwent another x-ray, and the doctor explained about her severe osteoarthritis and advised surgery. As she can only undergo surgery one knee at a time, the doctor advised her to have surgery on her right knee, since it was causing her the most pain. Presently, Hnin spends much of her time lying down or sitting and cannot help with most housework. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Hnin receive treatment. On March 12th, she will undergo surgery to relieve pain and improve her mobility. Now, Hnin's family needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. She says, "After treatment and recovery, I look forward to going to the monastery to meditate again, as I used to do this before my knees caused me so much trouble. Thank you for your support for my treatment”.

Srey Toeung is a 35-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She lives with her second sister, who is also a rice farmer. In her free time, she enjoys visiting her rice fields and looking after her crops Twenty years ago, Srey Toeung had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the eardrum, in her right ear to perforate. For this reason, Srey Toeung experiences chronic ear discharge with pus, hearing loss, ringing in the ear (tinnitus), and occasional ear pain caused by a perforated right eardrum. The condition makes it difficult for her to hear conversations clearly and communicate with others. It also affects her daily life and makes working on her rice farm more challenging because of the repeated ear problems and reduced hearing. Srey Toeung sought help from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On July 17th, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Her family can contribute $50, but needs help raising $313 more to fund her procedure and care. Srey Toeung said, “I hope this surgery will improve my hearing and stop the repeated ear problems. I want to work on my farm, communicate with my family more easily, and live without worrying about my ear.”